This invention relates to vehicle wheel trim rings and retaining rings assembled therewith and having means for engaging wheel tire rims.
Vehicle wheel trim rings are known in the art and have comprised an ornamental wheel trim member having an annular rolled edge tightly crimped, clinched, or rolled around an annular edge of a retaining ring. One common technique of manufacture is to roll a narrow strip of material into the desired cross-sectional shape, form cut lengths into hoops, and then weld the ends of the hoops together. The ornamental trim ring member may be similarly formed or may be stamped from a suitable blank of the desired material. In order to provide a rigid assembly wherein relative slippage between the two members is avoided it has been necessary to provide either oppositely disposed annular bands about the outer edge of the retaining ring or to provide a folded over hemmed edge at the outer edge of the retaining ring prior to the clinching or rolling operation. The annular bands, or the folded over or hemmed edge have been believed to be necessary in order to provide a suitably secure clinch or crimp while avoiding any visually noticable affects at the outer surface of the ornamental trim ring member.
Since these types of multi-piece trim rings are relatively expensive, it has been the constant objective in the prior art to utilize a minimum amount of raw material and to minimize the amount of unused or scrap material. It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved vehicle wheel trim assembly in which material costs and scrap are reduced by avoiding the folded over or hemmed portion which heretofore has been believed necessary to provide a suitably rigid and secure assembly.